Fan of the BigStar Movies app and those looking for a new subscription-based video streaming service will be happy to hear about the latest update. Along with their catalog of lesser known titles including some gems, the app now supports AirPlay for HD streaming, and HD upscaling on iOS devices happens faster. Also added is a new “collections” section to help find specialty items, with five categories to start and the promise of more to come. The movie info now shows in a side panel and the whole app was rebuilt for increased stability.

BigStar Movies is a lot like Netflix, but it doesn’t replicate the service. There aren’t tons of mainstream movies here and practically no TV, but there are lots of smaller film festival award winners, and lots and lots of indie across genres. The pricing plan and payment methods are also different. Netflix and similar services require you to sign up and create an account online. They use their own billing services and cost a bit more. BigStar Movies allows you to do the same, and you’ll even find a good discount through online sign-up right now – three months for $4.99, the price of one – but the app also allows you to subscribe via iTunes, nice for those who don't have credit cards.

The app has the requisite social media integration, enhanced in this update, along with trailers and user ratings. The catalog of movies is the same in Canada as the US, which is unusual and suggests the app's service is available in its entirety wherever the app is available for download. BigStar is definitely for a certain type of movie lover, so be sure to check out their selections before subscribing. If underground and small indie films are your thing, though, this is a great time to give BigStar Movies a try.